394 THE STORY OF MY LIFE [1855
ning of February, certain men in Hall (the great place for gossip and scandal) had spoken constantly of a certain Mrs. Fortescue, who had come to reside in Oxford^ an exceedingly clever person and very highly connected. The subject did not interest me in the least, but still I heard of her so often, that I could not help being familiar with her name. Gradually her acquaintance seem to extend; men said, " I don't exactly know Mrs. Fortescue, but my family do" — or "my friend so and so means to introduce me," and so on. Mrs. Fortescue's witty sayings also were frequently repeated and commented upon. After some months it was said that Mrs. Fortescue was going to give a ball, for which there was anxiety to procure invitations — some men " had them, but did not mean to go," — others were "sure to have them." As I did not wish to go, the subject was of very slight importance to me.
Within a week of the alleged date of Mrs. Fortes-cue's ball, my friend P. came late at night to see me. He said, "I have a dreadful thing to tell yon. I have a secret to reveal at which you will be aghast. . . . / am Mrs. Fortescue!" Early in the year, observing how apt men were to assume intimacies which they did not possess, he and one or two other friends had agreed to talk incessantly of one person, a wholly imaginary person, and, while " making her the fashion," see if, very soon, a number of men would not pretend to be intimate with her. Dozens fell into the trap. In a certain class of men, every one was afraid of being behind his neighbour in boasting' of an intimacy, &c., with one who wasng, and it is marvellous in our eyes."n III, They bat! a most onthnsiaHtic recteptiot^ tho Htrnc*tB wen* thronged everywhere, and it wan a vc^ry l\m Irr wf ;